Astonishingly, when the courts of the Maputo Tennis Club, in the city’s Tunduru Gardens, were rehabilitated specifically for the All Africa Games, nobody thought to provide powerful lighting.
Since tennis cannot be played in poor visibility, the tournament has fallen behind schedule, and some players have seen matches that should have been played on Monday postponed to Tuesday.
Among those affected is Franco Mata. His second round match against Salif Kante of Senegal has been postponed by a day. In the first round, on Sunday, Mata beat the Ethipian Wondemagen Yirga 6-3 and 1-0. His opponent dropped out after the first game of the second set.
A second Mozambican, Feliciano dos Santos, did manage to play on Monday, and knocked out Mojalefa Mothibe of Botswana, in straight sets (6-0, 6-0). On Tuesday, dos Santos should face the Kokou Missodey of Togo.
Mata and dos Santos are the only Mozambicans left in the competition, after Isac Jorge and Antonio Bulha were knocked out on Sunday.
Post published in: Zimbabwe Sports News